Watchcase.



H. W. MATALENE.

WATGHGASE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1909.

1,006,965, Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

HENRY W. MA'IALENE, OF NEW YORK, Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

WATCHGASE.

Patented Oct. 24, 191.1.

Application filed September 7, 1909. Serial No. 516,425.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, HENRY IV. MATALENE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventednew and useful Improvements in \Vatchcases, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to watch cases of that type in which the backside of the case is provided with an applied ornament of one sort oranother, such as a disk of some semiprecious stone, for example, thepractice heretofore having been to apply such an ornament directly tothe outer face of the back of the watch case, with the result that thethickness of the case has necessarily been increased to an extent equalto the thickness of the applied ornament.

My invention is particularly intended to provide a watch case of thischaracter which will not necessarily be increased in thickness by theaddition of such an ornament, and will also have an improved appearanceas compared with prior cases of this character, to which end I apply theornament to the cap of the watch case, instead of to the back, and Iprovide the back of the case with a perforation which surrounds andreceives the ornament and exposes the same to view. By means of thisarrangement I am able to eifect a saving in the thickness of the watchcase equal to the thickness of the applied ornament and the thickness ofthe back of the case, in addition to the width of the slight space whichhas necessarily been provided heretofore between the exterior of the capand the interior of the back of the case, since it is impossible to fitthese parts so accurately that they will be in exact contact with eachother when closed. In practice, the outer face of the cap is preferablyprovided with a bezel in which the applied ornament is secured, and theperforation in the back of the case is fitted accurately to the bezel,so that the ornament has the appearance of being set into the back ofthe case, and the outer face of the ornament is preferably caused tocome flush with the outer face of the back of the case, although it maybe located above or below the same if preferred.

My invention is especially applicable to locket watches, and inasmuch asthe ornament is reinforced by the cap and is protected from injury bythe surrounding back, which is substantially flush with it, the ornamentmay be constructed from a thinner disk of a semi-precious stone thanheretofore, in case it is desired to construct the ornament therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated my inventionin several of its possible forms, Figure l is a transverse section of awatch case having an applied ornament composed of a semi-precious stone;Fig. 2 is a similar View of a watch case in which the ornament iscomposed of an enameled metal disk; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing anarrangement in which an enameled disk is overlaid by an openwork metaldesign; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the back of a watch case having anopen work metal design covering an applied ornament secured to the capand surrounded by an ornamental border formed on the back itself.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the watch case there showncomprises a center 2, a cap 3, and a back 4, which parts are or may beof the usual construction, except that the outer face of the cap 3 isprovided with a bezel 5 and the back 4 is perforated as at 6 to receivesaid bezel, when the parts are in closed position, and fit closelyaround the same. WVithin the bezel 5 is secured an applied ornament 7,represented in this case as composed of a disk of some suitablesemiprecious stone, the outer face of this disk being finished flushwith the outer face of the back a, so that when the watch case is closedthe ornament 7 is exposed to view and the back of the case presents asmooth and unbroken appearance.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 areconstructed as shown in Fig. 1, but the applied ornament is representedas consisting of a metal disk 8 coated externally with a layer of enamel9 which gives the desired ornamental appearance to the back of the case.In this instance the outer face of the applied ornament is shown aslocated slightly below the level of the outer surface of the back 4.

According to the construction shown in Fig. 3, the parts 2, 3, 4: and 5are constructed as already described, and the applied 0rnament comprisesa disk 10 which may be made of any desired ornamental material and isoverlaid by open metal work 11 secured directly to the outer face of thedisk 10. The open metal work 11 may be of any desired design, and insome cases it may be secured at its edges to the back 4: of the case,

or formed integral therewith, instead of being secured to the disk 10.The latter arrangement is illustrated in F 1g. 4:, ll'lWlliCll thecentral portion of the Watch case, Where the applied ornament islocated, is represented as surrounded by an ornamental border 12engraved or otherwise formedon' the back of the Watch case itself.Incasethe open metal Work is secured to the back 4 the disk is fitte dto make contact with the under sideofsaid open metal Work When the Watchcase is closed, so that the appearance of a one pi e ce constructionresults.

' sible formsbvvhich invention may take,

it being-a useful feature of my invention that it makesit possible toapply a ny, one

of a great variety of ornaments toa g ven tch-le se Wi hou l ion o th lt r,

' by cutting the ornament to fthe required size or design and securingit in place in a bezel carried by the cap. I claim "as my invention 1. AWatch case comprising a perforated back, a cap provided on its outerface With a bezel adapted to project into and fit the perforation in theback, and a separately constructed-ornament secured in said bezel andexposed to vieW through said perforation When the caseisclose v 42,.AWatch case compri'singaperforated back, :a, :cap ,having an ornamentsecured thereto and exposed, to viewflthrough the perforation in. theback when the ;case ,is

' closed,- and; open metal Work carried by said back and overlying ,saidornament In testimony whereof, I have. hereunto subscribed my name thisth day of August, 1909.v

' HENRY W. MATALENE. IIWitnesses .LR. GLEASON, A THUR S HrrLYnn.

Copies, of. this-patent maybe obtained for five cents each,byaddressing" thef" Commissionerdf Patents;

m m v .Washington,D.G. l

